Telecommunications systems are used to transmit digital and analog data between two telecommunications system interfaces. Data transmission may be accomplished using a solid transmission path, such as a copper conductor or fiber optic conductor, or by using electromagnetic radiation, such as a cellular phone. Regardless of the method used to transmit data, data transmission from a first telecommunications interface to a second telecommunications interface typically requires some form of processing by a switching system.
A digital cross connect system is a specialized switching system that provides improved flexibility in switching services. An example of a modern digital cross connect system is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,890 to Read et al., entitled "Integrated Multi-Rate Cross Connect System," a assigned to DSC Communications Corporation, issued Jul. 25, 1995 (hereinafter "Read"). Such digital cross connect systems may include a plurality of devices that define the M input ports and N output ports of an M.times.N connection matrix switch that is operable to connect any of the M input ports to any of the N output ports.
Digital cross connect systems typically also include an administration subsystem that provides synchronization, monitoring, and control of the connection matrix. In addition, the digital cross connect system taught in Read contains redundant parallel planes of all matrix components, such that the digital cross connect system can experience a number of failures in both planes without loss of network traffic.
Despite the additional flexibility inherent in digital cross connect systems, such systems typically comprise a large number of discrete components. The operation of these components must be coordinated by a central administration unit. This administration unit must communicate with each of the discrete components that comprise the digital cross connect system. Because of the large number of digital cross connect system components and the control commands that must be transmitted to each component, the number of commands and the command transmission time can be significant factors affecting the operating efficiency of digital cross connect systems.
A similar problem may be encountered with any other system that utilizes parallel or redundant systems to improve system reliability, such as aircraft control systems, spacecraft instrumentation and controls, nuclear power plant control systems, and numerous other systems. In many systems that comprise a centralized controller with distributed components, the number of control commands and command transmission time can be significant factors affecting the operating efficiency of the system.